Cons: Accurate timing and being very close required to work effectively

Android has plenty of music players, but few have a quick and convenient way to change songs or pause the one currently playing. Even fewer have a way of doing either of those things as quickly as Wave Control.

Wave Control is an Android 2.2+ app that uses close-range gestures to control music playback. Using the proximity sensor typically located near a phone’s earpiece, Wave Control responds to pre-configured motions. So if someone hovers over the sensor, it will pause or play music. A single swipe over the sensor skips to the next song, swiping twice will go to the previous song, and three rapid swipes will turn the controls on or off.

The best thing about Wave Control is that this is a companion app for your existing music player rather than a separate client. Any media app that supports headset controls – doubleTwist, Google Play Music, MX Video Player, etc. – should be compatible with Wave Control. And because it works through the proximity sensor, users don’t even need to unlock their phone or press the power button to trigger controls.

Proximity sensors are also part of the downside. Users will have to be very close to use Wave Control, and it’s important to time movements to make sure the sensor doesn’t register the wrong number of swipes. That’s a small and correctable annoyance that doesn’t take away from the overall convenience this app provides.

Wave Control is available for free in Google Play. Purchasing the $1 Pro version will remove ads, let users assign or remove certain gestures, and add extra commands.